Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-07-29
A MONTANA DESPERATE.
The Method of Social Purifction Used in
Montana.
Compiled from Vol. of Hubert Howe Fan
ctOlt's Popular Tribunala.l


Compiled from Vol. of Hubert Howe Fan
ctolts Popular 1ribunals.l
During the civil war crime was rampant in
Montana; murders and rohbcries were of
almost daily occurrence The sheriff of the
territory, Henry Plummcr, was suddenly dis
covered to bc the leader of an organized
band of cutthroats numbering over a hun
dred members. At length the better ele
ment of the community took matters in
their own hands, organized vigilance com
mittecs, and commenced hanging the ras-
Gals. The committee ut Bannock had bare
~ organized when communication was
brought them Ivy four truStv citizens Of a
neighhoring town, asking them TO arrest
and execute Plunmrr and two of his fol
lowers, These ruaus were then III Ban
mock, where they had come preparatory to
leaving the country The committee knew
that there was no time To lose; tn ~ search
ell the town and succeeded in arresing their
men.
The great leader, who had been instru-
mental in hundred murders, begged hard
for his life. He cried like Il child, asked to
be chained down, and offered to Lave the
country forever He declared that he was
too wicked to die. In his possession was
found a paper describing the band and
giving an account of their future plans
The three were taken without delay into
an unfinished building and hanged to Il CON
venient cross beam.
Having disposed of these the committee
had time to consider the case of John
Wagner, whom they had arrested and con
fined in an empty cabin till they could de
eide on his fate. 1t was unanimously deter
mined that he should be hanged as a highway
| man and rObber for his numerous villainies
of the past four years. One of their number
was appointed to notify the prisoner that he
would be led to execution within an hour.
At first his trepidation was extreme: he
begged that they would punish him in
another way Cut off my legs and arms, >
he said, land let me 90; you know | could do
nothing then" His courage, however, I'll
timately returned, and the bravery he exhib-
tied when at the gallows excited the sympa-
thy of his excutoners. He was led to the
building where his comrades had been exc
cuted, and saw their stifIening bodies ready
for burial He gazed at them stolidly, and
n few hours later was laid beside them.
In the ncighboring town of Virginia. one
morning. the vigilantS were to be seen fully
armed, stationed in every direction SO as to
prevent any one from passing out of the
place. Five rasCals were arrested. piniOned
and brought in front of the Virginia hotel
where they were arranged i'll a row. The
worst of the lot was Boone Helm, who had
emigrated from Missouri in 1880, after he
had committed a murder there and had
been pursued and brought into court. His
trial was postponed three times and finally
he was set free; he then came to California
| where h is said to have killed a dozen men.
Helm had left the Dalles in the autumn OF
1857 for Salt Lake City in company witt
seven gamblers, carrying all the necessary
implements of their pOfeSsion and taking
a race horse which was to beat everything
in Utah. They were attacked by Indians
and fought them for four days, when a snow
storm set in and six of the villains persisted
The last of his companions became snow
blind and ,as their provisions We're growing
low Helm shot him for food. Soon after
reaching Utah, he joined band of hors,
thieves and made rails in California. Next
we find him at Los Angeles where he rob
bed a store keeper; then we hear of him al
the Salmon river mines where he shot a MAJ
one Sunday for refusing to drink with him
The prisoners in the hands of the Virgin;
committee were examined one by one, anC
each confessed separately TO crimes TIT
five were taken to a half finished building
near at hand, where the main beam run
ming across the building answered admira
bly, for the purpose in hand. ! While Helm
was looking at the muscular contortions o
one of his fellows, he said kick away oil,
fellow; II be in hell with you in a min
ute The career of all was soon ended